Cloud Theft and Cyclic Paranoia

Stealing Clouds

I was thinking this morning.... about paranoia. I called an Uber ride on arrival in Lagos days ago. As soon as I settled into the back seat, I started feeling like I was being choked. I quickly looked around to see if someone was stealing my oxygen, but realized it was a pungent smell within the car that was choking me. But why would I even imagine that someone could steal the oxygen I breath? Could I be suffering from paranoia? Most definitely not, but I suspect I was influenced to have that thought after reading, two weeks ago, about the Iranian General that accused Israel of manipulating weather to prevent rain over the Islamic Republic.

Brigadier General Gholam Reza Jalali, head of Irans's Civil Defence Organisation told a press conference, 'The changing climate in Iran is suspect. Israel and another country in the region have joint teams which work to ensure clouds entering Iranian skies are unable to release rain. On top of that, we are facing the issue of cloud and snow theft.' How can anyone steal clouds? I imagined. I was immediately reminded of the dilemma of the Electric Eels (Electrophorus electricus) which are mostly blind, even though they are not born blind. Sure you are wondering why.

I found out the Electric eels have three pairs of abdominal organs that produce electricity as a form of defensive mechanism against predators. Whenever the animal is under attack, it activates, an electric field of up to 860 Volts (that is nearly 4 times the 220V electricity supplied to our homes) to electrocute its attacker. The Eel also requires rising to the surface of the water every 10mins in order to take in oxygen before going back under the water. Due to this routine, the fish has developed a mindset that makes it think it is vulnerable to attack due to its constant coming up to breathe, and hence it is always on a 'suspicion mission.' It is always and constantly electrocuting its environment even when it is not under attack. The sad effect of this is that in the course of continuous electrocuting of its environment, its eyes are also electrocuted and hence its blindness. As it swims around blindly and only using its sense of feel and ears and being unable to see, it goes into more suspicion and every movement it feels in the waters, it releases further electric shock, worsening its plight. The animal thus goes into a cyclic paranoia and self infliction of pain causing it to be more blind irreversibly.

I believe the Iranian general is suffering from self activated cyclic paranoia, but are most people in Nigeria not in the same boat? It is so disgusting how we have reduced our political discourse to 'hailers' and 'wailers.' If you criticize the current government, you are labeled a wailer and supporter of looters and if you are a supporter of this government, you are a hailer and either an Islamist or a herdsman. We have become blind as a nation from our mutual suspicion that we can no longer see the looting and maladministration by professional politicians. They sold us the dummy of suspicion and it has activated a cyclic paranoia that now makes us wink at and become numb to the killings around us. Very soon somebody will say it is Benue people sending flood to the President home State of Katsina just to target him or that the opposition is stealing the water in Lake Chad consequently resulting in drought and the herdsmen crisis. Cyclic paranoia.

We need to end this paranoia so we could see clearly to save our nation for our children sake, by taking the advise of Matthew 7:5, 'Thou hypocrite, first get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend's eye.' Enough of our cyclic paranoia!

Happy Sunday.

......Just the thoughts of a certain Wey Mey.